Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Labor & Delivery of baby Peter

So I'm about 3 months late posting my 2nd pregnancy experience. I would normally post a few week after giving birth because I'm more likely to remember every details. Now I can only remember bits and pieces here and there but hey at least I remember some things.  Anyway, I must tell you one thing but then it's nothing new just that every pregnancy is different.  Well, my 2nd pregnancy was nothing like the first!  NOTHING. PERIOD.

On Friday, December 23rd, 2011 at around 3 in the morning. I started to feel uncomfortable.  Let me just start off by saying that my so called "pain" wasn't going away.  I didn't think of it at that moment but yes they were contractions!  You know what? I actually thought that my water was going to break just like it did with my first pregnancy.  Well, you've guessed right... it didn't and I've only had consistent contractions every few minutes apart.  Before heading to the hospital, I decided to wait about 30 minutes to see if they'll go away.  Of course, it didn't.  It didn't seemed real or anything because my due date was supposed to be January 4th, 2012.  And I remembered my doctor mentioned if my contractions were happening every few minutes apart then to go to the hospital.  Sure enough that was the plan.  I'm glad I had all three bags packed and ready to go (mine, Joanna and baby Peter's).  We left home to drop off Joanna at Pastor's house. Rose said she would be willing to take care of Joanna for us. We were so thankful for their willingness.  Normally, we don't leave Joanna with anyone because we're pretty protective of her.  And yes we are still protective parents.  Anyway, I had all this planned in advanced incase I go into labor and it worked out.  Then there goes my trip to the wonderful (sarcasm) hospital located in Flower Mound, Texas.  Once we were at the hospital, I was still feeling the same, alert and walking with no major contractions just yet.  In other words, my contractions didn't hurt so bad.  Because of that, I wasn't quite sure if it was a real or false one. The only way to find out was to have the nurse check me.  The nurse told me to changed clothes and sit on the bed so that they can put what looks like a plastic stethoscope or something on and around my stomach. Then put something maybe it's called ambulatory that goes around my arm to check my blood pressure or something, the nurse even put something on my finger (I'm guessing for my heart beat). But all in all I'm in all these crazy machinery that does its job to keep track of my contractions. I was told that I needed to stay for an hour to see confirm if I'm having contractions or not. So after waiting an hour, it was confirmed that I actually had real contractions!  I'm glad I'd listened to my body. I just couldn't believe it was actually happening!  On Christmas eve eve!!  Craziness having a baby just in time for Christmas.  A great Christmas gift too!!  Don't you think?  I do!!  Anyway, I was just used to having my water break and I didn't with this pregnancy.

I am trying not to complain but everything didn't go as I had hoped with this pregnancy. So what, right?  Well, this happened twice now that my doctor wasn't on called (she didn't get to deliver baby Peter) and I had to deal with a male doctor whom I wasn't comfortable with and one that didn't seemed to care (that's how I felt with him).  Oh and I had to get pricked again with a needle to have Penicillin or some kind of antibiotics from a plastic bag passing through a tube (where they pricked me) to my hand (to treat my Group B infection). While getting pricked, I was worried that I had to deal with a nurse missing my vein. It happened with my first pregnancy getting pricked 5-6 times before the nurse got it right and oh it hurts!! Can you imagine that?  I cried.  But this time wasn't so bad because this nurse got it in the second time.  Better than 5 times or I'll cry.  I sure don't like them needles!  Here is how it happened... the nurse missed putting the needle in my left arm (where my vein just happen to close) with that she had to try a different spot and tried again on top of my hand (where she finally got it in one of my veins).  She said that my veins were small and that it was hard for her to get it in because her first try my vein just closed.  Weird.  It's like my body is saying "NO NO" to that location.  I find it amazing how my own body response!  My vein closed?  Really??  So that IV antibiotic that was placed in the plastic bag and passed on through me... just BURNS!!!  I'd never had that problem before but this time I did and I told the nurse about how it burns and all she said she could do was to turn it down (the flow) but sadly, it still burns.  UGH.  Even though, she said it'll go away, it didn't.  You see what I mean by not being the same as my first pregnancy?!  I had to suffer dealing with pain plus having a needle injecting a liquid that burns!  OWWW!  *frowns*  As time went by, only a few hours into my stay, I had only dilated to 5 cm.  The doctor came to check on me without explaining what he was going to do and decided to stick what looks like a long needle into my cervix or uterus or vagina (whatever you want to call it) area and busted my water!!!  Seriously?!  Without telling me?!  Making me nervous?!  Thanks a lot!  Just to find out afterwards that he wanted me to dilated more and breaking my water helps it to go by quicker.  Wonderful. (sarcasm)  Come on! Don't you agree he should have told me what he was doing first??  You see what I mean!?  I don't mean to be rude but I did not like him for the fact that he didn't care enough to ease my mind but then it applies to everything.  Oh I've never experienced this before and to have the doctor break my water was scary.  I didn't want to show him how I wasn't happy with him and decided to just trust him do his job... but still, you know??  I rather have a doctor that explains what procedures or whatever they'll be doing on me than someone that doesn't.  Most of us would!!

Because my water broke, my contractions has gotten worse as time went by and I was feeling VERY VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.  Although, I was able to get up and go to the restroom but oh how my pain was getting in the way!  Unlike my first pregnancy, I'd felt like I had to use number one very badly but couldn't go... it's like I was holding in my urine plus having pressure at the same time.  Doesn't that make any sense?  I'm trying to get you to understand how I was feeling but it's hard for me to even explain it.   Then the nurse and doctor came into the room to see if I was ready or not. Sure enough the doctor said I was ready.  But how did they know I started to feel very uncomfortable?  Matt said earlier he went to get a cup of coffee and when he came back he just happened to noticed that they have a lot of televisions where they can watch people like me?! What?!  So the whole time I was in the room, they had hidden video cameras?!  Again, they didn't tell me that?  I forgot what I even did!!  I hope nothing embarrassing.  Wow, I didn't even have a clue that I was being watched the whole time I was there.  Care to explain??  Anyway, remember how I tried explaining how I felt about holding my urine?  Well, because it was time to give birth I felt like I was going to pee right then and there giving birth! They wouldn't let me go to the restroom because it was time to push.  Great!  Yep, it was then and there when the nurse told me to start pushing and I sure did.  "PUSH PUSH PUSH!!", she said.  I was pushing pushing and pushing then I got exhausted.  Oh man, it gets tiring!!  I took a short break from pushing then go at it again.  In all of that while I was pushing, I'd felt the doctor "cut" me.  It's called episiotomy, it is a surgical incision done to enlarge the vaginal opening to allow the baby to come through when delivered.  OUCH!!!  Usually, I don't think about it but because I was watching him coming to me while I was pushing... I was able to "feel" it.  It's sort of like a mental thing, you know?  Let's get my story over with, so I've only pushed like about 2 or 3 times and then VOILA baby Peter came into the world!   What a beautiful baby boy!  I didn't see any pointy cone head or flat nose this time!  It was nice to get that instant touch although he was covered in well... you know... all that yucky stuff.  I was like.. wow, that's my baby boy!  He's finally here.  Yay!  After I got to touch him, they quickly took him away to clean him (I understood and was glad knowing they kept him in the same room with me)  then they gave him back to me to hold and feed him.  Good because I wanted to hold him and bond with him.  Can you imagine how happy I was to get this over with?  I was just happy that I decided to relax and let everyone do their job as in cleaning me and all.  I know they'll take good care of me and they did.  Those nurses have does a great job but it's something I couldn't even do because they have to help walk me to the bathroom, changed me, clean me up and so on.  Don't get me wrong, I'm very thankful for them!  Because I didn't know what to do and needed their help.  Just out of curiosity, I asked this one nurse, "Do you love what you do?" She said, "Yes, I love my job. I love helping people and I care for them."  She went on and on but just knowing that she cared enough to help was wonderful.  I really respect what she does because she took very good care of me.  Whenever I needed her, she was there for me.  She even comes to check up on me without me having to call her.  How sweet!

Unlike Joanna, baby Peter was born with flaky skin and had cradle cap. Oh and even grunts a lot! No kidding!!  He's also a snacker (very light eater like he'll be done eating in two minutes).  That's right, he'll eat for a few minutes and then doze off.  I'm not kidding!  With Joanna she's different...she'll stay and eat for as long as 20 minutes.  You see?  But the pediatrician said that as long as he's gaining weight, he's fine.

Well friends... that's about all I can say for this experience.  I know I am missing out on a lot of other details but this will have to do.  All I can say is that this pregnancy is different than my first.  It was even longer too!  Well, expect for the pushing part but I was in contractions for about 8 hours!

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